2021/22 Season Brochure

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THE BROAD STAGE THE WESTSIDE’S HOME FOR LIVE ARTS

2021/22 SEASON

We are thrilled to bring you these astonishing performing artists assembled to touch our hearts and our minds. We cannot wait to welcome you back, as we gather together to share moments of awe, deepen our curiosity and expand our understanding of a more connected, empathic world.

Becoming a subscriber is the best way to experience everything the season has to offer. By joining this community of arts lovers, you'll receive priority seating, ticket discounts and complimentary exchanges, and more. You can also order your subscription with peace of mind. Should a performance be canceled or postponed, we will work with you to convert your unused tickets to an account credit or donation.

See you at the theater!

Rob Bailis, Artistic & Executive Director

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SEASON AT A GLANCE THEATRE / JAN 21-22 Alan Cumming & Ari Shapiro Och & Oy! A Considered Cabaret

OPERA RECITAL / MAR 10 Jakub Józef Orliński, countertenor Michał Biel, piano

CLASSICAL / JAN 23 Colburn Orchestra

JAZZ & BLUES / MAR 11 Delfeayo Marsalis and The Uptown Jazz Orchestra

ARTS & LECTURES / JAN 24 Cue & A with Robert Kraft NAT GEO LIVE / JAN 27-28 How to Clone a Mammoth GOSPEL / JAN 30 Trey McLaughlin & The Sounds of Zamar

ARTS & LECTURES / MAR 14 Cue & A with Robert Kraft NAT GEO LIVE / MAR 17-18 Invisible Wonders CLASSICAL / MAR 19 Takács Quartet with Julien Labro

THEATRE / APR 14-16 Yemandja: A Story of Africa THEATRE / APR 15-16 Sea Sick THEATRE / APR 28 - MAY 1 An Evening with Fran Lebowitz BLACKBOX / MAY 13 The Reverend Shawn Amos & The Brotherhood JAZZ & BLUES / JUN 4 Artemis

CLASSICAL / MAR 27 Simone Dinnerstein

DANCE / JUN 9-12 Mark Morris Dance Group & Music Ensemble Mozart Dances

DANCE / APR 1-2 Ephrat Asherie Dance: ODEON

NAT GEO LIVE / JUN 16-17 Improbable Ascent

OPERA / FEB 17-19 Iphigenia

CLASSICAL / APR 3 Beethoven, Bagels & Banter

BLACKBOX / JUN 17 Brenna Whitaker

CLASSICAL / FEB 20 Beethoven, Bagels & Banter

JAZZ & BLUES / APR 9 Martha Redbone Roots Project

CLASSICAL / JUN 18-19 The Conference of the Birds

DANCE / FEB 4-5 Sacre by Circa DANCE / FEB 10-13 Aakash Odedra Company presents Samsara

OPERA / FEB 25-26 Heartbeat Opera: Fidelio

Visit thebroadstage.org for our complete Fall 2021 lineup.

Programs, artists and dates subject to change

The Broad Stage 2021/22 Season

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Broad Stage Commission

OPERA

IPHIGENIA

(LA PREMIERE)

by Wayne Shorter and esperanza spalding a new opera debased on the myth by Euripides FEB 17-19 at 7:30 PM MAIN STAGE Music by Wayne Shorter Libretto by esperanza spalding Directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz Conducted by Clark Rundell Set Design by Frank Gehry Costume Design by Montana Levi-Blanco Lighting Design by Jen Schriever Sound Design by Mark Grey Wayne Shorter

“jazz’s greatest living composer” — The New York Times

esperanza spalding

“one of the most fruitful and strikingly original careers” — Rolling Stone

Greek myth and opera are re-imagined through a classical and jazz-infused score and deeply poetic libretto. Two of the most visionary and daring musical voices of our time embark on a staged intervention into myth-making. spalding leads a company of nineteen vocalists and chamber orchestra, with Shorter's venerated jazz trio at its center.

Iphigenia is commissioned by Cal Performances at the University of California, Berkeley; The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; The Broad Stage, Santa Monica, CA; ArtsEmerson Boston, MA; Carolina Performing Arts and MASS MoCA. A Real Magic production (esperanza spalding and Jeff Tang) in association with Octopus Theatricals. Produced by Jeff Tang, Cath Brittan and Mara Isaacs.

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“Kidjo’s music has always been about legacies of women” — NPR

Broad Stage Commission

THEATRE

YEMANDJA: A STORY OF AFRICA (LA PREMIERE) APR 14-16 at 7:30 PM MAIN STAGE

Conceived by Angélique Kidjo, Jean Hebrail & Naïma Hebrail Kidjo Book & Lyrics by Naïma Hebrail Kidjo Music by Angélique Kidjo & Jean Hebrail Developed with and Directed by Cheryl Lynn Bruce Production Design by Kerry James Marshall Music Directed by Darryl Archibald Lighting Design by Kathy A. Perkins Projections Design by Rasean Davonte Johnson Costume Design by Mary Jane Marcasiano Choreographed by Beatrice Capote Dramaturg, Iyvon Edebiri Starring Angélique Kidjo Inspired by her ancestors, her family and Africa’s resilience, three-time GRAMMY® winner Angélique Kidjo conjures up a timely musical theatre work that is at once a family drama and historical thriller, redolent of Greek tragedy and infused with themes of love, betrayal, honor and the horrors of slavery. Yemandja is a work of magical realism that illuminates what happens when people are robbed of their culture.

Yemandja is co-commissioned by ArtsEmerson; The Broad Stage at Santa Monica College, Cal Performances, Ruth and Stephen Hendel, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, MASS MoCA and Yale Schwarzman Center.

Produced by THE OFFICE performing arts + film.

The Broad Stage 2021/22 Season

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OPERA

HEARTBEAT OPERA FIDELIO (LA PREMIERE) FEB 26 at 7:30PM FEB 27 at 4PM MAIN STAGE

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Heartbeat Opera’s daring 90-minute adaptation of Beethoven’s Fidelio pits corruption against courage, hate against hope.

This imaginative staging features five singers, seven instrumentalists, and a recorded chorus of more than 100 incarcerated singers and 70 outside volunteers from six prison choirs in four states across the Midwest.

photo credit: Chloë Ellingson

THEATRE

SEA SICK

(LA PREMIERE) APR 15 AT 8PM APR 16 AT 2PM & 8PM EDYE

Written and Performed by Alanna Mitchell Directed by Franco Boni with Ravi Jain Produced by The Theatre Centre Award-winning journalist Alanna Mitchell is a master storyteller, and this power is center stage in her mesmerizing solo show, Sea Sick. Culled from her work with leading ocean scientists and infused with her innate ability to lure an audience in, Sea Sick tells Mitchell’s most important story: her journey to the bottom of the ocean, the demons she discovered there and, most importantly, her hope for the future.

The Broad Stage 2021/22 Season

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DANCE

MARK MORRIS DANCE GROUP & MUSIC ENSEMBLE MOZART DANCES (BROAD STAGE DEBUT) JUN 9-11 at 7:30PM, JUN 12 at 2PM MAIN STAGE

Experience the sublime joy of dance with the world-renowned Mark Morris Dance Group.

Mozart Dances has been praised as music embodied, with three exquisite Mozart piano works set to Morris’ buoyant, exhilarating choreography. The program features a world premiere chamber interpretation of Piano Concerto No. 27, along with Piano Concerto No. 11 and Sonata for Two Pianos, all performed live in our intimate hall.

Presenting Patron Sponsor: Laura Maslon.

“Joyful from start to finish”

photo credit: Kenneth Friedman

— San Francisco Examiner

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photo credit: David Kelly

Created by Yaron Lifschitz and the Circa Ensemble

DANCE

SACRE

BY CIRCA

FEB 4-5 at 7:30PM MAIN STAGE

In the first circus setting of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, critically acclaimed contemporary circus company Circa tightly weaves together powerful world-class acrobatics and dynamic encounters suffused with dark humor and rich tenderness. Featuring new composition

by Philippe Bachman alongside Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, the famous high C on the bassoon sounds and the stage explodes with bodies locked in a ritual unto death.

Under the direction of circus visionary Yaron Lifschitz the Circa ensemble puts bodies on the line for Sacre in electrifying explosions of physicality and power.

The Broad Stage 2021/22 Season

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photo credit: Matthew Murphy photo credit: Chris Nash

DANCE

AAKASH ODEDRA COMPANY PRESENTS SAMSARA COMMISSIONED BY THE BAGRI FOUNDATION

(US PREMIERE) FEB 10 at 7:30 PM, FEB 13 at 2PM MAIN STAGE Aakash Odedra Company and Bagri Foundation invite you to enter the world of Samsara, created and performed by international dance artists Aakash Odedra (UK/India) and Hu Shenyuan (China), with live music by composer and vocalist Nicki Wells (UK/Switzerland).

Experience a touching story of self-discovery and cultural exchange through this epic live performance of music and dance.

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“Asherie matches the diverse musical forms... with a choreographic hothouse blend of her own” — The New York Times

DANCE

EPHRAT ASHERIE DANCE ODEON

photo credit: Natalie Khuen

(LA PREMIERE) APR 1-2 at 7:30PM MAIN STAGE

Experience the show that catapulted choreographer Ephrat Asherie to the front of the dance world. ODEON, a high-energy, joyful fusion of breaking, hip hop, house and vogue is set to the rich and buoyant sounds of fin-de-siecle Brazilian composer Ernesto Nazareth, performed live.

CLASSICAL

THE CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS (SHARED WORLD PREMIERE) JUN 18-19 at 7:30 PM MAIN STAGE

A Resonance Collective production Fahad Siadat, Composer Sholeh Wolpé, Librettist André Megerdichian, Director, Choreographer IN ENGLISH WITH TEXT FROM THE ORIGINAL PERSIAN

This world premiere, semi-staged oratorio is based on Sufi mystic poet Attar’s seminal text about the journey of the soul as it seeks union with the Divine. Featuring an a capella choir and seven soloists acting narratively and orchestrally, accompanied by a dancer.

Sponsored, in part, by Farhang Foundation.

The Broad Stage 2021/22 Season 11

OPERA RECITAL

JAKUB JÓZEF ORLIŃSKI COUNTERTENOR

MICHAŁ BIEL PIANO

(LA DEBUT) MAR 10 at 7:30PM MAIN STAGE

photo credit: Jiyang Chen

Polish countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński has quickly emerged as one of the most vibrant performers on the international classical music scene, triumphing on stage, in concert and on recording. He makes his Broad Stage debut with an eclectic program of baroque, romantic and 20th century songs.

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CLASSICAL

TAKÁCS QUARTET WITH JULIEN LABRO (BROAD STAGE DEBUT) MAR 19 at 7:30PM MAIN STAGE

“Arguably the greatest string quartet in the world” (The Guardian), the energetic and imaginative program features two new commissions and a solo set by renowned bandoneon and accordina player Julien Labro.

PROGRAM DESSNER Circles LABRO Meditation No. 1 SALUZZI Minguito J.S. BACH Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 645 (arr. Labro)

LABRO Astoración RAVEL String Quartet in F Major ASSAD Clash

The Broad Stage 2021/22 Season 13

CLASSICAL

COLBURN ORCHESTRA JAN 23 at 4PM MAIN STAGE

Yehuda Gilad, Conductor Charlotte Marckx, Violin Olivia Marckx, Cello The concert’s centerpiece is a dazzling Brahms double concerto that perfectly marries the violin and cello’s lush tones. Rounding out the program is an energetic early work by Samuel ColeridgeTaylor and Shostakovich’s demure Ninth Symphony.

CLASSICAL

SIMONE DINNERSTEIN (BROAD STAGE DEBUT) MAR 27 at 4PM MAIN STAGE

Acclaimed pianist Simone Dinnerstein is considered one of the foremost interpreters of Bach in the world. In this special program, Dinnerstein follows the enormous success of her 2007 self-produced debut album of The Goldberg Variations with a live performance of Bach’s masterpiece.

Patron Sponsor: Victoria Sussman.

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GOSPEL

photo credit: Zach Smith Photography

TREY McLAUGHLIN & THE SOUNDS OF ZAMAR (BROAD STAGE DEBUT) JAN 30 at 7:30PM MAIN STAGE

Augusta, GA gospel sensation Trey McLaughlin & The Sounds of Zamar, his anointed choir, bring a deeply communal experience to every venue they visit. Their soul-stirring live performances cut across cultural differences with stunning renditions of contemporary gospel and fresh takes on familiar hits.

The Broad Stage 2021/22 Season 15

photo credits: Zac Smith photo credit: Megan Bean

JAZZ & BLUES

DELFEAYO MARSALIS AND THE UPTOWN JAZZ ORCHESTRA (BROAD STAGE DEBUT) MAR 11 at 7:30PM MAIN STAGE

The Uptown Jazz Orchestra is stretching the boundaries of what is expected from big bands, playing with an extraordinary sense of joy and fun that could only be from New Orleans. Their repertoire consists of material that spans the 100+ years of American music with a contemporary flare. With influences from Louis Armstrong to Count Basie, James Brown to J Cole, Marsalis and Uptown Jazz Orchestra plays music that helps free the mind, warm the heart and heal the soul.

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JAZZ & BLUES

MARTHA REDBONE ROOTS PROJECT

(BROAD STAGE DEBUT) APR 9 at 7:30PM MAIN STAGE

JAZZ & BLUES

ARTEMIS

(BROAD STAGE DEBUT) JUN 4 at 7:30PM MAIN STAGE

With songs and storytelling that share her life experience as a Native and Black woman and mother in the new millennium, Martha Redbone gives voice to issues of social justice, bridging traditions from past to present, connecting cultures and celebrating the human spirit.

A multi-generational and globe-spanning supergroup of six female jazz greats, Artemis conjures a powerful collective voice from this sextet of visionary bandleaders and composers.

The Broad Stage 2021/22 Season 17

JAN 24 at 7:30PM | MAIN STAGE acclaimed composer TBA MAR 14 at 7:30PM | MAIN STAGE with Michael Abels (Get Out, Us)

BL ACKBOX

Shawn Amos: Fred Siegel

WITH ROBERT KRAFT

An original Broad Stage production celebrating the power of film scores by today’s most gamechanging composers. Featuring conversation, clips & commentary, live demonstrations and an audience Q & A, Cue & A centers The Broad Stage’s commitment to advancing the art and visibility of contemporary composers in all genres of music.

THE REVEREND SHAWN AMOS & THE BROTHERHOOD MAY 13 at 8PM | EAST WING BRENNA WHITAKER JUN 17 at 8PM | EAST WING 18

The Reverend Shawn Amos returns with his signature series of smooth grooves and robust rhythms, featuring a stellar lineup of musicians you’ll want to get to know! Dance to high-energy beats in the East Wing and be part of the sold-out craze that continues to enrapture our audiences.

HOW TO CLONE A MAMMOTH Beth Shapiro, evolutionary biologist JAN 27-28 at 7:30PM MAIN STAGE

credit: Raul Martin

Journey with explorers who are at home wherever their adventures take them.

INVISIBLE WONDERS Anand Varma, photographer MAR 17-18 at 7:30PM MAIN STAGE

photo credit: Anand Varma

Join Beth Shapiro, evolutionary biologist and pioneer in ancient DNA research, on a journey through the astonishing and controversial science of de-extinction.

IMPROBABLE ASCENT Maureen Beck, paraclimber JUN 16-17 at 7:30PM MAIN STAGE

With her trademark humor and wit, world champion paraclimber and 2019 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, Maureen Beck chronicles her adventures as a one-handed athlete.

photo credit: Krus Ugarizza

Get a fascinating look at the hidden wonders of our world through the innovative techniques of photographer Anand Varma, whose images reveal life at the edge of our perception.

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SAVE 10%

The Broad Stage 2021/22 Season 19

“Hilarious... an unlikely and perhaps alarming combination of Mary Hartman and Mary McCarthy.... To a dose of Huck Finn add some Lenny Bruce, Oscar Wilde and Alexis de Tocqueville, a dash of cabdriver, an assortment of puns, minced jargon, and top it off with smarty pants.”

— The New York Times

“A terrific violinist. His technique is of the ‘wow’ variety, his tone as huge as he cares to make it.”

— The Boston Globe

BEETHOVEN, BAGELS & BANTER

FEB 20 & APR 3 at 11AM EDYE The popular series curated by Robert Davidovici returns with a mélange of world-class guest musicians. Spend your Sunday mornings with great music, lively conversation and freshly made bagels.

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(BROAD STAGE DEBUT) APR 28-APR 30 at 7:30PM APR 30-MAY 1 at 2PM MAIN STAGE

In a cultural landscape filled with endless pundits and talking heads, Fran Lebowitz stands out as one of our most insightful social commentators. Appearing live in conversation at The Broad Stage following the unmitigated success of her Netflix series Pretend It’s a City, this event promises her trademark, spoton observations about contemporary living, mixed with the opportunity to ask Lebowitz your own scintillating questions. Purveyor of urban cool, Lebowitz is a cultural satirist whom many call the heir to Dorothy Parker.

Special guest interviewers to be announced.

photo credit/copyright: Brigitte Lacombe

AN EVENING WITH FRAN LEBOWITZ

photo credit: Emilio Madrid

SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE NOW

ALAN CUMMING & ARI SHAPIRO OCH & OY! A CONSIDERED CABARET (LA PREMIERE)

Presented in association with Southern California Public Radio

JAN 21-22 at 7:30PM MAIN STAGE

Join Tony Award®-winning actor Alan Cumming and NPR’s All Things Considered host and frequent Pink Martini singer Ari Shapiro as they transport their audience through an evening of tunes and tall tales. This firsttime collaboration is a must-see for fans of Broadway, standards and having a good time!

Patron Sponsor: Anne Taubman.

The Broad Stage 2021/22 Season 21

THE BROAD STAGE WITH COMMUNITY COME JOIN OUR ACTIVATIONS We believe everyone should have access to the performing arts and the opportunity to deepen their connection to all art forms, so we are excited to add free Activations that are directly tied to this season’s programming. These public events include community activities and educational programs that engage the artists and their creativity beyond the stage. Activations may be onsite, offsite or digital offerings that welcome our artists and audiences to learn, connect and journey together.

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Trey McLaughlin & The Sounds of Zamar Gospel Sing A Long Jan 30 @ 12PM | 3rd Street Promenade Circa Circus Arts Feb 6 @ 11:30AM | The Broad Stage Ephrat Asherie Dance Social Dance and Hip Hop Mar 27 @ 11:30AM | Virginia Avenue Park Sea Sick Environmental Policy Panel, Alanna Mitchell and Heal the Bay TBD | Online Sea Sick Heal the Bay, Nothing But Sand beach clean-up TBD | Santa Monica Beach Visit thebroadstage.org for full schedule.

LEARNING GUIDES For all who are curious and want to know more about select performances, there are Learning Guides available for Heartbeat Opera’s Fidelio, Ephrat Asherie Dance’s ODEON, Alanna Mitchell’s Sea Sick and Mark Morris Dance Group & Music Ensemble’s Mozart Dances.

Visit thebroadstage.org to download and share our Learning Guides.

STUDENT MATINEES (digital performances)

by Heartbeat Opera and Ephrat Asherie Dance are accessible for classrooms.

For further information, email education@thebroadstage.org

The Broad Stage’s new artistic chapter as a commissioner and producer of new work includes REVEAL, a series of on-demand and live digital events, sharing exclusive footage, conversations, discussions and performances that highlight the artists’ transformational practices in action as they develop their commissioned works.

Curated in collaboration with the artists, REVEAL is available to our audiences for free at thebroadstage.org/reveal COMMISSIONED WORKS Yemandja: A Story of Africa (2021/22 SEASON) Iphigenia

(2021/22 SEASON)

Universal Child Care

(2022/23 SEASON)

Being Future Being (2022/23 SEASON) Reconstruction (2022/23 SEASON)

The Broad Stage 2021/22 Season 23

DO YOU NEED SOME INSPIRATION? Here are some recommendations for Create-Your-Own series options.

Mix and match anything you see here to come up with your perfect package and save up to 20%!

EMERGE

Celebrate the spirit of togetherness and let the light shine in.

Trey McLaughlin & The Sounds of Zamar Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra Ephrat Asherie Dance Martha Redbone Roots Project

CAPTIVATE

Create memories with masters of their craft and Broad Stage premieres.

Iphigenia Heartbeat Opera Fidelio Yemandja: A Story of Africa Mark Morris Dance Group & Music Ensemble Mozart Dances Takács Quartet Cue & A with Robert Kraft Artemis

CURATED PACKAGES (SAVE 10%!)

Nat Geo Live Beethoven, Bagels & Banter

SIGNIFY

The environment, restorative justice and the interconnectedness of nature and humanity.

Sea Sick Heartbeat Opera Fidelio Samsara

BLEND

Gems across all genres.

Mark Morris Dance Group & Music Ensemble Mozart Dances Cue & A with Robert Kraft Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra Sea Sick Simone Dinnerstein Iphigenia

MYTHOLOGIZE

The gods and goddesses of folklore, origins and our foundational tales.

Iphigenia Yemandja: A Story of Africa Sacre by Circa Samsara Artemis The Conference of the Birds

PACKAGES START AT $47. Order online at thebroadstage.org/subscribe or call 310.434.3200.

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SUBSCRIBER BENEFITS Subscribe today to The Broad Stage and enjoy exclusive benefits, including: ● Discounts of up to 20%

SINGLE TICKETS GO ON SALE NOV 22

off single ticket prices

● Free exchanges for your

subscription tickets

● Priority seating ahead of

single ticket sales

● No service fee if you renew by October 19 (A SAVINGS OF $36!)

The Broad Stage 2021/22 Season 25

HEALTH & SAFETY AT THE BROAD STAGE We are thrilled to reopen and invite you back for in-person performances!

To ensure the health, safety, and well-being of our audiences, staff and artists, The Broad Stage is requiring guests to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and to wear masks at all times. This policy applies to all performances, whether indoors or outdoors.

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS WORRY-FREE. You can exchange your unused tickets to another performance or convert them into a donation or account credit should a performance be postponed or canceled.

NOTE: This policy is subject to changes at any time, in accordance with fluctuating local, state and federal guidelines. Please watch your email for our current policy before your scheduled performance date.

Visit thebroadstage.org/safety for up-to-date information.

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ELEVATE YOUR BROAD STAGE EXPERIENCE! JOIN OUR MEMBERSHIP COMMUNITY ● Get FRONT-OF-THE-LINE priority

ticket and seating access

● Receive ADDITIONAL SAVINGS

on tickets and subscriptions

● GET CLOSER TO THE ART AND

ARTISTS – exclusive invitations to special conversation series, pre-show receptions, open rehearsals and other up-close engagements await

For further information, email development@thebroadstage.org

The Broad Stage would like to thank our SERIES SPONSORS, whose support helps make the 2021/22 season possible: CELEBRITY OPERA Lloyd E. Rigler Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation BEETHOVEN, BAGELS & BANTER Barbara Herman BLACKBOX Ann Petersen and Leslie Pam CLASSICAL MUSIC The Colburn Foundation JAZZ & BLUES Richard and Lisa Kendall THEATRE Laurie and Bill Benenson, Susan Stockel The Broad Stage is associated with Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center, presenting primarily in its spaces including The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage Main Stage, The Edye Second Space, The East Wing and outdoors on the campus quad.

The Broad Stage 2021/22 Season 27

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